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Do Not Disturb: How to Silence Notifications On Your Mac With Focus Mode

The new Focus feature in macOS Monterey lets you choose when, where, and how to turn off notifications and other annoying distractions.

You’re trying to get some work done on your Mac but keep getting interrupted with notifications, some of which may be important and others not so much. The trick is to prevent the trivial notifications from bothering you but still allow the critical ones to come through. And for that, you can turn to the Mac’s Focus feature.

Available with macOS Monterey, Focus is an updated version of the Do Not Disturb feature. Do Not Disturb is still available, but with Focus, you can fine-tune it with more options and set it to run during certain times, such as when you’re asleep or when you’re driving.

Another bonus with Focus mode is that by default the settings sync across your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. So for example, if you turn on the Do Not Disturb setting on your iPhone, it also kicks in on your Mac, and vice versa. Here’s how it all works.


Update Your Mac

mac update

First, make sure you’re running macOS Monterey 12.0 or higher. To check your current OS version, click the Apple icon in the upper left and select About this Mac. If the window shows an older version of macOS, click Software Update to download and install the latest version.


Set Up Do Not Disturb Under Focus

focus settings

Set up Focus from System Preferences > Notifications & Focus, then select the Focus tab. By default, the feature offers six different options. Do Not Disturb is a general setting for any circumstance, but you can also get more specific and set up notifications for when you're driving, exercising, sleeping, enjoying personal time, or working.

contact exemptions

Select Do Not Disturb, then pick the contacts from whom you want to get notifications. Under Allowed Notifications From, click the plus (+) button, then add anyone you want to include as an exception. Click the Add button to put the selected contact on the list. To remove a contact, select the person's name and click the minus (-) button.

app exemptions

Next, choose the apps from which you will allow notifications. Click the Apps tab and click the plus (+) icon. From the list of apps, click the ones you want to add and then click the Add button. To remove an app, select it and click the minus (-) sign.

do not disturb options

Click the Options button to further fine-tune Do Not Disturb. Here, you can enable or disable Allow time sensitive notifications, which lets through notifications with an upcoming time or deadline, such as an appointment or reminder.

Enable Allow calls from and click the drop-down box to choose between Everyone, All Contacts, or Favorites. Enable Allow repeated calls to let through multiple calls from the same person with the assumption that such calls are an emergency.

turn on options

Schedule Do Not Disturb to automatically turn on based on certain conditions. Click the plus (+) icon under the Turn on Automatically section to choose time-, location-, or app-based criteria.

add time

If you want it to turn on at a specific time of day, choose Add Time Based Automation. Select the days and the times for when you want Do Not Disturb to go into effect. Click Add to finalize.

add app

For a location-based schedule, click the plus (+) sign and select Add Location Based Automation. Select a specific location from the list and click Add. To create a schedule for a specific app, click the plus (+) sign and select Add App Based Automation. From the list, select an app and click Add.

Under the Turn On Automatically section, check any schedules you want to enable; uncheck any you want to disable. To remove a schedule, select it and click the minus (-) sign. You can enable Do Not Disturb right away by turning on the Do Not Disturb switch at the top. Otherwise, it will go into effect based on the schedules you created.

do not disturb settings

You can also check the box for Share Focus Status if you want people who try to contact you to be informed when Do Not Disturb is turned on. Check the box for Share across devices if you want the Focus settings on your Mac to apply to your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.


Set Up Focus Modes

driving focus

To set up a specific Focus, select it from the Notifications & Focus menu and enable the corresponding switch. For example, to turn on the Driving Focus, select Driving and enable the Driving switch. Most of the options for each Focus are the same as Do Not Disturb.

focus options

You can add or remove specific people based on whether you want to be notified of their calls or messages. Select the Options button to allow calls from certain people and allow repeated calls. Turn on the switch for Driving to activate this setting. Otherwise, it will automatically turn on based on the way you set it up on your iPhone.

add focus

Driving, Fitness, Personal, Sleep, and Work are the default focus settings, but you can add more or remove existing modes. Select any entry you don't want and click the minus (-) icon to remove it. Click the plus (+) icon to add new settings, including Gaming, Mindfulness, Reading, or Custom. If you choose Custom, you will need to enter a name and other attributes, add it to the list, and then configure the different options.

custom focus

Quick Access Settings

control center focus

Once Focus is set up, you won't need to wade into System Preferences to alter the settings anymore. Click the Control Center icon on the menu bar and select Focus. You can also add Focus settings to the menu bar.

menu options

Go to System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar and select Focus, then check the box for Show in Menu Bar. Choose whether to always show it or only when the feature is active. You can then access the feature from the menu bar by clicking the half moon icon. From there, click a specific Focus setting to turn it on and off. Click Focus Preferences to open System Preferences so you can change any of the Focus settings and options.

About Lance Whitney